Burning off

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In American broadcast programming, "burning off" is the custom of quickly airing the remaining episodes of a television program, usually one that has already been or is planned to be cancelled, without the intent to attract a large number of viewers. In addition to airing episodes two at a time, this process may also include rescheduling the show to a lower-rated time slot, or transferring the show to a less visible sister network. A low-rated show that premiered in the early portion of the regular television season may return during the summer, only to have the final episodes "burned off."^[1]

Abandoned programs may be burned off for a number of reasons:

• The program must air to meet contractual or legal requirements.
• The production company needs enough first-run episodes to meet minimum requirements for broadcast syndication (though with the rise of streaming video platforms, this has become less of a concern).
• Their use as "filler" is perceived as slightly more profitable than reruns or other fillers.